St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-11
JAKE ORMsBY,s JOKE.
Entertained by Missourians as
President of the United States

Entertained by Missourians as
President of the United States.
Jake OrmSby was at the Ryan this
week. Jake is one of the best known
commercial travellers ON the road and
few years ago was known as ''Ormsby,
the prince" He's royal fellow, who
never fails to make it pleasant for any
man whom he gets acquainted with,
providing he can furnish credentials
showing him to be a gentleman.
When Jake started out on the road he
went as the representative of large
cracker establishment in the East, and
he went in style. The great railroad
magnates of the day got none the
best of him, for he went from town to
town along his route in a special car
and had his own servants. 1t cost
money to do this, but Jake was getting
a big salary for he was crack sales
man, and by living up to the full
limit of his monthly stipend he
could afford to travel in this
when the financial break up of '72 came
Jake gave up his special car and since
then has ridden in ordinary passenger
coaches, and many times cabOOse at
tached to the rear end of freight train
has been good enough for him, but
whether in special palace car or
caboose, Jake's temper is just the same,
and he always has warm right hand
grasp for fellow traveller wherever he
meets him.
A good story is told of Jake, which
illustrates his appetite for good joke.
In the summer of 81 Jake had con-
cluded to make a trip through the
Southern part of Missouri, and asked a
couple of friends who we're enjoying a
vacation to 90 along with him. They
accepted the invitation. and Jake had
his car stored with the choicest
WINES AND FRUITS.
He had friend in the town of Wey-
mouth, Mo-, a village of few hundred
inhabitants, who was editor and propri-
etor of the weekly paper published
there, and to him he wrote letter tell
ing him to advertise that President
johnson would pass through Weymouth
in a few days in a special car, and
would probably remain there day.
The announcement was made, and the
little town went wild. Streets were
decorated with flags and covered with
arches of eVergreenS and blossoms.
Two brass bands from Jefferson City
were hired for the occasion, and the
public hall put into shape for a grand
banquet. The momentous day came, and
when the tram that drew Jdke'S car
rolled into the station the entire popula-
ton was there, all craning their necks to
get glimpse of the president. AS soon as
his car had been detached and the train
had gone on Jake came out on the plat
form. His appearance was the signal
of an OutburSt from the crowd, and hats
went up in the air, while the owners
danced and screamed with delight.
Jake bowed and smiled and made
a brief speech, in which he
claimed to be in hearty sympathy
with the people of Missouri. This
declaration set the crowd wild with de-
light, and rushing upon the car they
lifted Jake on their shoulders, together
with his two friends, to whom the joke
had not been explained, and marched
away with the brass bands in the lead
to the town hall, where everybody sat
down and got exceedingly full of cham
payne. The next day Jake and his
friends were escorted to the depot by
the townspeople and the bands, and
when the train moved out with Jake's
special car attached to it, the people
waved their hats and yelled after it
until it went beyond their view. The
citizens of Weymouth never learned
that it was travelling man and not
President Johnson that they had enter
tanned so royalty.